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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. staff — a stick
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — in sport
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — farmland
  14. stem — to come from
  15. staff — employees
  16. fall — the season
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com